Monday, October 29, 2007

BRITISH OCCUPATION AND THE LONDON 'TIMES' .......

From 'The United Irishman' newspaper, January 1958 .

A 'division' was indeed reached , we say , to meet the realities of the British Imperial situation - not the Irish one . And while it is true that this division was accepted in Dublin (by the British-established Free State Government) , in Belfast (by the British-established Stormont Government) and in London (by the British Imperial Government which contrived the whole thing) , it was never accepted by the Irish people .

'The Times' newspaper says that Mr de Valera and his government have "...happily.." accepted Partition which "...will survive , so far as can be seen , into the indefinite future.." 'The Times' has been more noted for wishful thinking than prophecy in regard to Irish affairs . The only hope for peace in Occupied Ireland , says 'The Times' , lies in the suppression of Republican Militants . The British Army of Occupation is dismissed with this reference -

" The British soldiers are rightly available to reinforce police and auxilaries , if and when occasion arises . " The 'occasion' must arise pretty often for , three days later , 'The Irish Independent' newspaper (December 12 , 1957) reported the following.......
(MORE LATER).



A PORTRAIT OF IRELAND , by Saoránach.......
First published in the Republican Bulletin - Iris Na Poblachta , November 1986.

For those who have the time and inclination to study some of the problems and take stock of our situation , I recommend a recent book called 'Ireland : A Sociological Profile', published by the Institute of Public Administration and the Sociological Association of Ireland.

Here in over 400 pages are 19 different papers on various aspects of Irish life today , written by a team of sociologists . The editors claim that it "...addresses key aspects of institutions and structures in both parts of Ireland.. " (sic) and gives "...a distinctive , if not complete , portrait of Irish society ." This book , it must be stressed , does not offer solutions , but tells us what we are , warts and all . The proposal of solutions is not the sociologist's job , in academic terms anyhow . But for those who would like to take stock of Irish society in 1986 , prior to making plans and devising policies , this is as good and as up-to-date an account of our society as one is likely to get .

Most of our readers would be interested in the chapter called 'Power Control and Media Coverage of the Northern Ireland Conflict', by Mary Kelly of the Department of Sociology in University College ,Dublin. Her paper is based on painstaking research of the media over several years , and she shares her analysis with us . Dr Kelly distinguishes , for instance , four frames in which IRA activity in the Six Counties is reported . It is basically a matter of the terminology used , as can be seen by the following sample.......
(MORE LATER).




ROBERT EMMET - THE DARLING OF ERIN.......

Margaret McKearney looks at the life and death of one of Ireland's most enduring heroes.
From 'Fourthwrite' magazine, Autumn 2003.

Following the signing of the Peace of Amiens by France and England in March 1802 the United Irishmen that were being held as prisoners in Fort George were released and many such as Thomas Russell and Thomas Addis Emmet made there way to Paris . Emmet returned to Ireland in October 1802 and began to plan for a rising . On March 1803 , at a meeting in Corbet's Hotel , 105 Capel Street , Dublin , Emmet briefed his key organisers .

In April 1803 Emmet rented an isolated house in Butterfield Lane in Rathfarnham as a new base of operations and Michael Dwyer, a 1798 veteran , suggested his young niece as a suitable candidate to play the role of the 'housekeeper' .

Born in or around the year 1778 , Ann Devlin soon became Robert Emmet's trusted helper and served him loyally in the months ahead . Shortly afterwards he leased a premises at Marshalsea Lane, off Thomas Street, Dublin, and set up an arms depot there.......
(MORE LATER).